Health Notes: Eye health for swimmers
All that footage of Olympic swimming has us wanting to dive right in, to cool off – in a pool, or a stretch of wild water.
As we all know, though, there were concerns about the levels of pathogens in the River Seine – and that’s true with many stretches of water in the UK, too. Our first tip is always to check the Safer Seas & Rivers app (find it at the Apple Store here), for any local warnings.
But beyond that, it’s worth paying attention to the fact that exposure to chlorine, salt and even fresh water can cause havoc to the eye barrier. Peep Club – the eye-care brand founded by an experienced, entrepreneurial optometrist, Nicola Alexander-Cross, shared with us recently some advice for swimmers about how different types of fresh water can affect the eyes. And we thought that in turn, it was timely to pass it on to you. etrist, Nicola Alexander-Cross explains ...
As she says, ‘Wild swimming (in seas, lakes or rivers) and pool swimming carry different risks for eye health. Pools are more likely to cause irritation, allergies and sensitivity because of the chemicals, like chlorine used to keep the water clean, which then interact with the nitrogen found in pools (from urine, sweat and cosmetics), and the resulting compounds which cause irritation.
Wild water highly depends on how clean the water is and can pose more of a risk for bacterial infection in the eyes. You should choose a sea or lake etc. that is known for naturally being clean. Look at how clear the water is , the kind of plant growth nearby (for example, seaweed often a sign of a very healthy, clean sea), animals other than fish swimming in the water (ducks, dogs etc.) can make it more of risk for bacterial contamination.
If you're regularly swimming in salt water, dry eyes are also quite common because sea water is about 3.5% salt, which is a much higher salt (sodium chloride) content than your own tears and this makes them sting and also dries them out. Surfers and sea swimmers can develop 'surfers eye' which is caused by a combination of the salt water and sun exposure. Although “surfers eye” (also called a pterygium) is not dangerous – it's a raised pink/ red growth on the white part of the eye – and is very difficult to get rid of once you have it.’
We also want to share Nicola’s expert advice on what you can do to protect your eyes.
Never wear lenses. ‘The No.1 most important piece of advice for anyone swimming, is to take off your contact lenses before you swim! Any kind of water contact with contact lenses can cause sight threatening issues like amoeba infection, eye infections, corneal ulcers, severe eye inflammation.’
Create a routine to care for your eye barrier. ‘Take care of your eye barrier when you’re out of the water - to make it more resilient when exposed to open water. If your eyes are already dry or sensitive, there has likely been a breakdown of the tear film which is the first line of defence of our eyes, making the eyes more vulnerable to pathogens or chemicals in water.’
Our Peep Club Instant Relief Eye Spray is a great daily go-to for anyone experiencing dry eyes (find it here, priced £15 for 17ml). On swim days, start and end the day with few sprays over closed eyes. It will help fortify the tear film (your eye barrier) against swim environments (especially chlorine and salt-water). As a bonus, throw it into your swim bag and use it right after swimming to relieve dryness, redness and reduce the urge to itch!
Peep Club also recently launched The Eye Rescue Lidstick™ (find it here, priced £15 for 2.2g), which is a first-of-its-kind overnight eye balm stick with oat ceramides, evening primrose oil, kakadu plum (the richest natural source of Vitamin C), borage oil and New Zealand manuka oil. The unique formula supports the skin barrier, tackles dryness, improves the appearance of fine lines, visibly brightens, softens and soothes (even red, inflamed eyelids) - all while you sleep! So perfect if your eyes need some TLC at any time.’
Your eyes will tell you if something is wrong. ‘Pay attention to your eyes - for example, if your eyes start watering as soon as you get into a pool, before you have even gone under water, it is likely that the chemicals used in that pool are going to sensitise your eyes. If you feel like your eyes are starting to get itchy or you notice your children’s eyes getting red and inflamed, it’s time to end the swim session or at least the underwater part.’
Invest in good goggles. ‘If possible, keep your eyes closed when under water - or invest in a good pair of tight fitting googles (there are specialist wild-swimming or salt-water swimming options available which have good UV protection).
Keep showers cool. ‘Avoid hot showers right after swimming! This will exacerbate any allergies or irritations (in your eyes and more generally). Stick with a cool shower immediately post-swimming.’
See you on the beach…
